Has anyone tried raising their animals without store bought feed of any kind? Letting them forage for what they would normally eat without us in the picture? I realize that they would probably not be as "efficient" in producing meat, eggs, milk, etc., but it would seem to be cost effective.

-- Sue (sulandherb@aol.com), July 25, 2000

Answers

I have about 20 game chickens that run free and eat what the animals drop (both ends). They spend a lot of time in the wooded areas scratching for bugs. I just let them fend for themselves and they do quite well. I don't bother trying to hunt down their eggs and they hatch quite a few clutches of chicks each year. They maintain a population of about 2 dozen adult birds. They lose quite a few to predators. I butcher about a dozen a year for myself, they have a diferent flavor then the broilers I raise and I enjoy it.

-- Mark (deadgoatman@webtv.net), July 25, 2000.

It would totally depend upon the quality of the forage, also what about winter, even goats who are dry have to have something to keep them rumenating and keeping them warm burning calories. If you count cutting the pasture for hay, then yes 100% from your pasture and browse. You also wouldn't get much milk but you could get some and also meat. Make sure you breed for kids being born onto flush pasture or the peak of your forage. I know folks out here who purchase pigs early spring and raise them all year just on what they glean out of the forest, and butcher in late fall. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), July 25, 2000.

Most of the year our sheep graze freely. After they give birth we give them some barley (our production)

-- kelly (kellytree@hotmail.com), July 26, 2000.

My Mammoth, steer and hog are on Coastal grass pasture 24/7. This is typical in this area for all livestock. No homesteaders, just good health for the critters. I have bags of pellets for when I travel with them....trail rides for a few days, parades, etc. The chooks free range, but I still keep their hoppers filled. This helps them to return to the pens at night, on their own, to roost.

-- ~Rogo (rogo2020@yahoo.com), July 26, 2000.

Rogo, if this isn't too stickybeak (nosy for we Americans), are you a transplanted Aussie? I read on one thread that you're in Texas, came here next, and saw "chooks", which I know from an friend is Aussie for chickens. Maybe you covered that in an older thread . . . Sorry if I'm being too personal, but it raised a big curiosity bump! LOL!

-- J E FROELICH (dragnfly@chorus.net), July 26, 2000.

Im trying to work toward that but its going to take a long time. I became interested in permaculture a while back and decided that for me that would be the way to go. Im off to a good start but its going to take years yet before some of the bushes and trees have spread enough and are producing enough to feed larger critters. The folks at Bearcreek Nursery have some really good ideas in their catalog for that type of thing...

-- William in WI (thetoebes@webtv.net), July 27, 2000.

No, J E FROELICH, I'm not an Aussie, it just seems easier to talk about the bunch of feathers by the short word 'chook'!!!!

-- ~Rogo (rogo2020@yahoo.com), July 30, 2000.

Aussie slang is spreading (just like USA slang!!). I sometimes call chickens "chooks", too, and have never been to Australia.

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), July 31, 2000.

I'm glad you guys explained what chooks are. I wasn't too sure and was going to ask when I got to the end of the thread.

-- Colleen (pyramidgreatdanes@erols.com), August 01, 2000.